To guarantee that today’s rerun elections in Kaduna move on well, the State Police Command says it has increased security in specified local government areas and constituencies.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun had on Thursday imposed restrictions on movements – from 12:00 am to 6:00 pm – in areas in 26 states of the federation where by-elections and run-off polls are set to be held on Saturday.
Mansir Hassan of the Kaduna State Police Command provided clarity by listing the local government areas as Chikun, Igabi, Kachia, Kaduna South, Kagarko, Kudan, and Kauru.
According to a statement, the police spokesman said a complete restriction of movement will be enforced from midnight of Saturday, February 3rd to 5 pm. He however said essential workers including Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, election observers, medical personnel and accredited media officers are exempted from the restriction in the affected areas.
The police cautioned unauthorised persons against being seen at the Registration Area Centres (RAC) centres, polling units, and collation centres, warning that individuals with intent to constitute nuisance will face arrest and prosecution.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, the police authorities say the restriction of vehicular movement in the state owing to a by-election is only limited to the Surulere area of the state where the exercise for a federal constituency seat is taking place.
The spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command Benjamin Hundeyin said the restriction only applies to the Surulere area of the state where the poll is expected to take place and not all parts of the commercial city as speculated in some quarters.
“CLARIFICATION: In the forthcoming bye-election in Lagos State, restriction of movement is applicable only in the election area, Surulere Federal Constituency I,” he said in a Friday post on his X handle. “There is no restriction of movement in other parts of the state.”
The Surulere Federal Constituency 1 position became vacant after President Bola Tinubu appointed a former Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila – who clinched the post in the 2023 elections – as his chief of staff.